Murals on Private Property

Artist: Peru Dyer Jalea/ Peru 143, Title: Kingston: A Moment in the City

Thank you for your feedback. The Public Art Policy was updated to better support the creation of artist-designed murals on private property. The guidelines and application form are now available to artists.

Murals can bring colour to building walls and streets, creating unique experiences for residents and tourists to engage with public art. Murals can enliven neighbourhoods and communities, help to attract new local businesses, and boost the economy of an area. Created by artists, murals can also foster dialogue within the community they are located.

Proposed Amendments

The City is amending its Public Art Policy to outline a new, streamlined process to support and sanction the creation of murals on private property. This new proposed process will help remove barriers and better support artists and property owners. It includes an application process that will be reviewed by the City’s Arts & Culture Services staff and the Art in Public Places Working Group, which is made up of community members. A toolkit based on best practices for murals will also be provided and will include information on artist fees, materials, installation and maintenance.

The proposed amendments include:

• Guidelines, eligibility criteria and application process for murals on private property added to the Public Art Policy
• Information about permits that might be required for murals on private property and City staff support available (i.e., heritage permit if the mural is on a designated heritage building, encroachment permit if access to City property is needed for the installation, etc.) added to the Public Art Policy
• Exemption from Signs Bylaw, Section 6 for murals on private property that are approved through the established application process
• Exemption from Property Standards Bylaw, Section 4.17 Graffiti for murals on private property that are approved through the application process

This engagement will inform the community on these proposed amendments and seek feedback on the value of murals as part of the Public Art Program. Your input will help the City understand the broader interest of the community in having more murals in Kingston.

How to get involved

• The survey is now closed.
• Tune into the YouTube livestream of the Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee on April 20.
• Subscribe to the Arts and Culture newsletter for project updates.

Definitions

Murals are considered part of street art, which is an urban style of temporary public art on walls, sidewalks and roadways that is sanctioned and permitted. Spaces like the Street Art Wall in Duglas Fluhrer Park, which is a City-approved platform, encourage artistic expression in all forms of street art. Street art and murals are distinct from unsanctioned graffiti, which is a form of vandalism.

Current Context

The Public Art Policy currently guides the development of public art on City property and public art as part of new private developments; it does not specifically address murals on private property. Currently, any murals on private property would be considered a “sign” as per the Signs Bylaw, which has restrictions on size and would require a Sign permit. Some murals, depending on the artwork design, would also require an exemption from the Property Standards Bylaw, which states that written slogans and graffiti on the exterior of any building, wall, fence or structure is prohibited.